By Bryan Davis
Sports Editor
It’s time for soccer again. The West Point Parks and Recreation Department announced this week that youth soccer will begin on Monday night at 6 p.m.
The first games of the season will be played at the sportsplex, and the sport will be played on Mondays and Thursdays of each week.
According to parks assistant director Jarod McDaniel, soccer roster numbers are up in 2010.
“Since last year the numbers have gone up,” McDaniel said on Wednesday, as he worked on completing the 2010 schedules. “Numbers have gone up each years since I’ve been here.”

By Bryan Davis
Sports Editor
It’s time for soccer again. The West Point Parks and Recreation Department announced this week that youth soccer will begin on Monday night at 6 p.m.
The first games of the season will be played at the sportsplex, and the sport will be played on Mondays and Thursdays of each week.
According to parks assistant director Jarod McDaniel, soccer roster numbers are up in 2010.
“Since last year the numbers have gone up,” McDaniel said on Wednesday, as he worked on completing the 2010 schedules. “Numbers have gone up each years since I’ve been here.”
Soccer is a growing sport among Mississippi’s youth, and coming off of an exciting World Cup, more Americans are taking to the sport than ever.
The parks department says that there are 20 total teams participating, including 10 5 and under, four 7 and under, 4 9 and under and 2 10 and up teams.
Several weeks ago, McDaniel and parks director James Crowley put out word that the department was in need of soccer coaches for the season. Since then, all of the positions were filled.
“The group I was concerned about was the little kids, where we needed 10 coaches,” McDaniel said. “We have all of them.”
McDaniel said that next year the department is going to put on a coaching clinic for those interested in coaching the sports but are weary about the rules.
“More people today are aware of soccer,” McDaniel said. “There’s just that fear of the unknown.”
On Wednesday afternoon, members of the Parks grounds crew were out on the baseball and softball fields at the sportsplex, getting the lines marked off and the fields ready for the 2010 season to begin.
McDaniel said that peewee football is also around the corner for the youth. The department has the helmets and pads. Right now, they are waiting on the team jerseys to arrive.